Kevin "KD" Dorsey

CRO at finally - Founder of Sales Leadership Accelerator - The #1 Sales Leadership Community & Coaching Program to Transform your Team and Build $100M+ Revenue Orgs - Black Hat Aficionado - #TFOMSL

Formal Education will make you a living… Self Education will make you a fortune. – Jim Rohn

Sales Leadership Accelerator - The #1 SaaS Sales Leadership program - 
www.salesleadershipaccelerator.com


Patreon Group - Monthly Live Trainings, Podcasts, AMA's and more!
https://www.patreon.com/insidesalesexcellence

Awards and Recognition

- DemandBase Top 25 Sales Leaders
- Salesforce - Top Sales Influencer to Follow
- InsideSales top 10 Sales Leader
- Pavillon 🗣 Lecturer of the Year
- Salesforce Top 16 Sales Influencers to Follow
- Ambition Top 100 Sales Coaches
- SalesLoft Rev Star
- TOPO Sales Development Exec of the Year
- LinkedIn Top Sales Voices
- LinkedIn Sales Star
- The Modern Sale Top 100 Global Sales Leaders
- Crunchbase Top Sales Leaders You Should Know

I believe in focusing on the "person" in "salesperson" 

As I've grown as a leader I have a better understanding of what truly drives behavior, motivation, and long term success. If we can make better people, the sales will follow. 

I love scaling sales teams. I have built multiple teams from 0-150+ reps, revenues from 0-100M+ ARR (multiple times). 2 Unicorns (ServiceTitan and Tebra) I believe in processes and systems, paired with skill development, as the code to success. 

I also love to share what I have learned, and what I am learning with others. I consult all sorts of different companies and people as they look to improve their results. I mentor and consult early, mid, and late-stage SaaS companies all across the world. Sharing my playbooks and processes for scaling sales teams successfully.

I have spoken at the top conferences across the country, mentor/coach start up's across the country, and love sharing as I go. 

If there is a book on sales, psychology or influence I have probably read it. I am a voracious learner and am constantly pushing myself and my team to reach new heights of achievement. Because of my own internal desire to learn and grow, that also gets translated out to my team with non-stop growth, coaching and training.

Founder & CEO

The Sales Leadership Accelerator is #1 SaaS Sales Leadership Program

https://www.salesleadershipaccelerator.com/slamembershipoverview

Ya’ll these are the exact trainings, systems, processes I’ve used to build 4 teams over 100 people, 2 unicorns (working on my third) and have trained 1000s of others on as well. 

That's part of what makes this different, is I'm still doing it. 

I'm still in the game. I'm still executing on these things, fine tuning, improving, and growing. 

These aren't the tactics that worked 8 years ago, this is the stuff working NOW.

That’s what the Sales Leadership Accelerator is all about. 

A program to level up the LEADERS!

Leaders need systems, processes,and skill development too. 

That's what this is all about.

Over 15 hours of leadership training (sorry ya’ll, no micro course here, if you want one of those, go somewhere else! it takes more than 90 min to learn this stuff. ) That has been incredibly highly reviewed by 100s of sales leaders and companies. 

Covering things like… 

The BIPSY Leadership Methodology
The WGLL and 4Ds
How to run 1x1s
How to truly develop skills
Coaching and Motivation
Tough Conversations and Accountability
Issue Diagnosis and Metrics
And much more!

Plus over 12 Templates you can take and make your own tomorrow. 

1x1s
Coaching Plans
Issue Diagnosis Checklists
Calls Scorecards
Goal Calculators
And more

Plus monthly group calls, AMAs, and outside experts.

Join today!

"We're about to hire our first sales rep. Any pitfalls to avoid?"

Got this text last night from a founder.

Told him I could write a book on all the mistakes I've made/seen other make, but I'd try to give him the fast stuff. 

1. 𝗗𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗡 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟𝗦

Set clearly defined and attainable targets.

Actually run the numbers. Can they realistically hit what you're expecting?

Most founders set impossible goals then wonder why reps fail.

2. 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗣 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚

Whatever timeline you're thinking, double it.

Then add a month.

First reps take longer than you think. Always.

Even if they have 'industry' experience. They have zero experience in your org. 

3. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧

Take YOUR sales performance and cut it by 30%.

That's what your first rep will do. Initially.

You have founder magic. They don't. You know every objection by heart. They're learning.

Stop expecting them to sell like you do.

4. 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗧

Record all your demos. But here's what most miss:

Do a second recording breaking down WHY you did what you did.

"I asked this question because..."
"I pivoted here when they said..."
"I ignored that objection because..."

The context is more valuable than the demo itself.

5. 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗚𝗟𝗟

What Good Looks Like. Document it all:
- How leads should be worked
- What discovery should accomplish
- How demos should flow
- Follow-up cadence and messaging

If it's in your head, it doesn't exist.

6. 𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢, 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗢𝗡𝗘

There's no perfect sales hiring process.

Two reps create competition. Comparison. 

One rep? You'll never know if it's them or your process that's broken.

7. 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥 > 𝗦𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟

Don't get blinded by experience.

Hire for character traits first, skill second.

Coachability. Curiosity. Grit. Work ethic.

You can teach product. You can't teach character.

8. 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗜𝗦𝗡'𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟

If you can't manage them, don't hire them.

Real management means:
- Weekly 1x1s
- Call reviews
- Coaching sessions
- Deal prep
- Skill development

Not just "checking in" on Slack.

𝗕𝗢𝗡𝗨𝗦: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗣 𝗛𝗔𝗖𝗞

Customer interviews. By far the quickest way to get a rep up to speed.

Have them interview 20-30 customers with these 6 golden questions:

1. Why did you buy?
2. What problem were you hoping to solve?
3. What were you afraid of before buying?
4. What's your favorite part of the product?
5. What's changed the most since having it?
6. How would you describe what we do to another [persona]?

Record every single one.

This gives them real voice of customer. Real objections. Real value props.

In their customers' actual words.

--------

Knock out these steps (even if you're far beyond the first sales hire) 

Your first sales hire sets the tone for everything that follows.

Get it right, and you build a machine.

Get it wrong, and you'll be selling solo for another year.

We all want bigger results without changing our daily habits.

That's why we stay stuck. 

I just re-read Atomic Habits and I love this book more and more each time 

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗖 𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗦

1. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 1% 𝗥𝗨𝗟𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧

10 more calls per day = 250 extra conversations per year.
2 more question in discovery = hundreds of deeper pain points uncovered.
One extra follow-up video = dozens of saved deals.

Small improvements compound. Small declines do too.

Missing 2 calls today doesn't matter. Missing 2 calls every day? You're toast.

2. 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟𝗦

Average approach: "I want to hit quota"
Elite approach: "I am someone who never misses their call block"

Stop focusing on outcomes. Start focusing on who you need to BEcome.

How would that person think, act, work, & behave. 

3. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗟𝗔𝗪𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗦

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗢𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀:
- Put your call list on your desktop before you leave
- Schedule your prospecting blocks in your calendar
- Set CRM reminders for every follow-up

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲:
- Pair cold calls with your favorite coffee (right Sara Uy?!)
- Create a team leaderboard for activities
- Celebrate the calls, not just the closes

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆:
- Pre-write your email templates
- Keep objection responses on sticky notes
- Have your demo environment always ready

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
- Track your activities visually
- Ring a bell after booking a meeting
- Share wins in Slack immediately

4. 𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗦

"After I sit down at my desk, I will make 5 calls before opening email"
"After every discovery call, I will update the CRM"
"After getting rejected, I will do 10 pushups and make another call"

Stack the habit you need onto something you already do.

5. 𝗘𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 > 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Your work setup determines your productivity more than your motivation.

Phone visible = more calls made
LinkedIn open = more prospecting done (prospecting not posting/doom scrolling!)
Slack minimized = more deep work completed

Design your environment for success, not rely on willpower.

6. 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

What elite teams track daily:
- Calls made (not just meetings booked)
- Discovery/Demo Call Scores (not just closed deals)
- Follow-up Videos sent (not just deals closed)

The act of tracking changes behavior before results change.

8. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

Month 1: No pipeline movement
Month 2: Few meetings booked
Month 3: Some opportunities created
Month 4: EXPLOSION

Most people quit in month 2. Right before the compound effect kicks in.

Results lag behind effort. Always.
---- 
We become what our habits allow. 

Because elite performance isn't built on massive changes.

It's built on atomic habits, compounded daily.

Start small. 

But start now!

Senior B2B Sales & Marketing Leader | Driving Predictable Revenue Growth in Start-Ups | Account-Based Growth & B2B Saas & MarTech Sales Strategy Expert

I believe trust, growth, and predictable revenue don’t happen by accident — they happen when you have the right system.

After 30+ years in B2B sales, GTM, and revenue orchestration, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat:

Scattered tactics that never stick

Shiny new tools that collect dust

Great ideas that never become everyday behaviors

Good people forced to guess instead of perform like superheroes

That’s why I build SYSTEMS that make the best mindsets, mantras, skills, and processes repeatable — by design.

🚀 Through SMC Sales:
I help B2B CEOs and CROs win against the 95/5 Rule and the chaos that keeps only 20% of their team producing at peak.

With my Choose Your Own Adventure™ Sales System and Compelevant™ Selling, I turn tactics into a formal, dynamic, always-on sales engine. I systematize your highest-performing channels — like the Compelevant™ Referral Revenue System™ — and unify your CRM, AI, and coaching so trust becomes your greatest pipeline asset.

🌐 Through Boundless Markets:
As Chief Strategy Officer, I help large member associations and nonprofits transform the Voice of the Member into an always-on Boundless Revenue System™.
We capture real stories, fuel retention and referrals, and align sponsors with authentic member outcomes — using low-code tools, data, and AI-powered personalization to make it all scalable, predictable, and trust-driven.

⚡️ Who I serve:

CEOs, CROs, and RevOps leaders who want SYSTEMS as a Service™ — not random acts of selling.

Association Membership & Sponsorship leaders who want to amplify trust, not erode it with one-and-done campaigns.

When your system works, your people fly.

Good sellers become B2B Sales Superheroes. Members become your best marketers. Sponsors become real partners.

If you’re ready to turn trust into your unstoppable growth engine — let’s talk.

🔗 www.B2BSalesSuperheroes.com
🔗 www.boundlessmarkets.com

Shawn Cook

SSPPIICCCCEDDD - Criteria Pt 2: How Growth Criteria Gets Defined 

TL;DR:
Deals don’t stall because buyers don’t care — they stall because Gravity Criteria keeps them tied to what feels safe.
The first step to shifting into Growth Criteria is Public Proof:
1️⃣ Public Problem Proof (you’re not alone — this is systemic)
2️⃣ Public Solution Proof (there is a proven path forward)
These create contrast, clarity, and the opening your Champion needs.

🛎️ Part 3 : The Partnership Perspective + The Personalized Progress Probe.
Last time we named the culprit behind stalled deals:

When its Not Implications.
When its Not the COST of Inaction.
When its Not the Champion.
It's likely CRITERIA... 

Not MISSING Criteria but;  the WRONG criteria. 

Gravity Criteria = safe, familiar, low-risk
Growth Criteria = outcome-focused, future-oriented, momentum-building

Today we shift from knowing to shaping to starting with the first phase of the Pull-Forward Framework™.

⭐ Public Problem Proof + Public Solution Proof
Not demo proof.
Not product proof.
Not case studies.

Public Proof = external data buyers already trust.

Why start here?
Because buyers are voyeuristic. They want to know:
“Are we ahead? Behind? Missing something?”

Public Proof answers that instinct and creates the contrast needed to change criteria.

Lets name the Gravity we’re fighting against.
When I talk to CROs about pipeline quality, I hear:

• “We need more pipeline.”
• “Maybe more rep training will fix referrals.”
• “Maybe we’ll build something in-house.”

Common.
Comfortable.
Not predictable.

That’s Gravity Criteria
Here’s how Public Problem Proof breaks it:

⭐ Public Problem Proof (CRO Example)

Using the Compelevant™ Referral Revenue System as context:

“Here’s what the market is saying…”

• 76.6% of reps missed quota in H1 2025
• Quotas dropped 13.3%
• 63% of CROs lack confidence in ICP
• Only 23.6% of pipeline is high-fit
• Outbound win rate: 10%

“You’re not alone. This is systemic.”
Contrast created.

⭐ Public Solution Proof

Then we turn the contrast into clarity:
• 91% of customers are willing to refer
• Only 11% of reps ask
• Referral win rates are 2–5× higher
• Sales cycles are 69% faster
• LTV is 37% higher
• Only 30% of companies have a referral process
• Only 10% have a proactive system

“This isn’t a pipeline problem.
It’s a referral activation problem.”

Now criteria starts to move — from Gravity → Growth.

Public Problem Proof = Contrast
Public Solution Proof = Clarity
Clarity → New Criteria.

And that gives your Champion the opening to influence the room.
⭐ What’s Next — Part 3

Next time, we dive into:
The Expert Partnership Perspective™
Strategic Contributors interpret proof to redefine “what good looks like.”

The Personalized Progress Probe™
The alignment questions that create ownership, momentum, and consensus.

Proof opens the door.
Perspective aligns the room.
Probes create progress.

Proof over opinion.
Trust your team.
Verify your truth.
Trust… BUT VERIFY™.

Turning deal chaos & pipeline uncertainty into predictable, profitable, verifiable growth for B2B revenue teams.

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The Battle

Kevin "KD" Dorsey

Shawn Cook

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The Battle

Kevin "KD" Dorsey

Shawn Cook

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kevin "KD" Dorsey's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreKevin "KD" Dorsey's LinkedIn Performance